Keep XP Clean

Spywares:-

These are small programs that run in the background. They 'hide' themselves from the user and perform tasks that typically invade your privacy, they do literally 'spy' on you.spyware programs come bundled with free downloadable programs from the internet.





Adawares:-

When the software that displays advertisements (called adware) or software that tracks personal or sensitive information.



The main symptoms:-

When you will get stuck with spywares then you may face the following signs-

1]pop-up advertisements all the time

2]Exsisting Internet settings changed.The Home page is hijacked.

3]Presence of any unwanted toolbar.

4]Any unwanted software has got downloaded.

5]Very slow in runing.



Removal Tools:-

Download ,install and run them in safe mode.Always check for updated or latest versions.



Spybot Search & Destroy (S&D)

www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

Spyblaster:-It doesn't scan and clean for spyware - it prevents it.

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sbdownload.html





Custom Entries for SpywareBlaster

http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/blaster.htm

Lavasoft Ad Aware

Adware T.V. Media Removal Tool

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4368.html

Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner



http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/

VX2 Cleaner:

http://www.lavasoft.de/software/plugins/vx2cleaner.shtml or:

http://tools.zerosrealm.com/VX2Finder.exe

Hijack This

http://www.spychecker.com/program/hijackthis.html

CWShredder:-

http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html

The followings Protect you from unknown Browser Helper Objects (BHOs)

BHODemon

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download3550.html

Toolbarcop 3.01

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4126.html



Prevention is Always Better than Cure:-

Never Disable Firewall.Always keep it Enable.

Make sure the programs you install don't contain adware

Install a pop-up blocker to prevent adware and spyware pop-up windows( in XPSP2 it is there by default in Internet Explorer.Other third party tools are- Google Toolbar and MSN Toolbar)



Useful Links:-

What you can do about spyware and other unwanted software

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/spywarewhat.mspx



Unexplained computer behavior may be caused by deceptive software

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;827315

Tip: Run, RunOnce, RunServices, RunServicesOnce and Startup

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q179/3/65.asp



Download.Ject Payload Detection and Removal Tool

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=FC84B8B5-A64D-4837-B65F-96925A514F71&displaylang=en



Free Online Virus Scan

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp



Windows Firewall

http://msdn.microsoft.com/security/productinfo/XPSP2/networkprotection/firewall.aspx